Following the trail of Bulgarian crafts, today he will take us to the wonderful world of musical instruments to introduce us to the bagpipe – its sounds are able to make our skin bristle and cause such strong emotions that tears flow from our eyes.
The instrument whose sounds accompany some of the most important events in the life of our people – weddings, gatherings and various festive events that unite us as a nation.
Watching a person play the bagpipe is magnificent. Looking at the hands of a person who knows how to make this kind of musical instrument is an inspiration. And admiration for the patience and attention he puts into the process of his activity.
One of the most skilled craftsmen who produce bagpipes in our country is Nikolay Andonov and lives in the Varna region. He took the path that his grandfather and father had taken. Today he makes many other hitherto unknown musical instruments. The specialist told Iskra.bg:
My father and grandfather were bagpipers. I started playing myself as a child. At a later stage, I started making bagpipes. Today, my son is following in my footsteps.
According to him, each master needs a different period of time to create a bagpipe and there is no way to say a specific deadline for the implementation of the process. It is important to use natural materials that are of high quality. He was adamant that it was not easy:
You start, you make mistakes, you learn. The process is long and one must have the desire not to give up in the face of difficulties. It took me several years. Today, it is not me, but the people around me who appreciate my work and acknowledge that I am good at what I do.
All the effort he puts into it pays off. Respect for his work is great and it is no surprise that he has won many awards and prizes in his field. He also won a diploma for participation in the Guinness Book of World Records, where with his colleagues and children who play skillfully, they performed the stage with the sound of 333 bagpipes.
The feeling was something worth experiencing and cannot be forgotten. With my colleagues and the bagpiper children who were with us, we left a lasting impression in the minds of the jury and the audience. Everyone was amazed by what we did.
He says that very often different people ask him the question: „Why do I get goosebumps when I hear a bagpipe?“ He answers with simple but eloquent words:
Because we are Bulgarians!
Nikolay clarified, however, that although we often call this instrument Bulgarian, there is no evidence for this. He has read a lot, and the history of the bagpipes is so old that it cannot be traced.
The master explained that bagpipe music is heard in different parts of the world. Most importantly, however, at any point on earth, bagpipes can make people feel. To feel the bridge between the past and the present.
The guardian of traditions commented that crafts are important and should be preserved. They contain a large part of our history, way of life and culture. Andonov explained that even today there are people who want to learn how to make bagpipes. Not all of them have previous experience, but when they touch this kind of art, something in their souls trembles and their interest is aroused.
The craftsman and his work have another great contribution to the musical culture of our country. The man has revolutionized the world of bagpipes, with his making of the carbony whistle – something that has never happened before in the world. Among his other creations are a drone, which sounds in four tones, and a bagpipe with an additional tone range.
Thanks to people like him, Bulgarian crafts remain alive, and the fame of the hands of native craftsmen is carried around the world. Nikolay and other talented and hard-working artists in the country are known among the people in their field, but the whole society should know about them.
Their work is significant and brings that significant note of connection that keeps us strong as a nation. Their work is the one that glorifies the name of our country. Preserves, continues and disseminates our cultural heritage.
